Caged Rat
by unbreathing cactus
Summary: nedzu hurt and abused escapes a life of experimentation but what now? - i have no idea where this story is going so ima wing this co-authored by diragon beta'd by quezal and lola
1. Locked in

Locked In

The cage was sharp, peeling and rusty in all the places Nedzu does not sit or dare to tread. For the most part, he remains in his corner, curled in as tight of a ball as he can to muffle his sobs.

It was on days like this that Nedzu, as he had named himself, could only try desperately to contain the bitter whimpers and deprecating laughs at his own stupidity. Quirk or not, it was his own arrogance that got him captured. Arrogance and naive, he was young and too proud of himself to listen to his woodland friends.

It cost him this. His _freedom_.

Lost to the foreboding click of the door opening, cutting his thoughts off.

They call themselves 'scientists' to his face but he could hardly consider them as such. This one, as she had been many times before, came inside with a click of her ruby heel at eye-level as she was clearly absorbed in her stack of paperwork.

The machine beneath his paws whirled to life, vibrating his small body. His cage rose in one large jerk, jostling him into squeaking and scraping his underjaw against a ruby patch of the floor.

A horribly familiar occurrence. A raw wound rubbed and rubbed and _rubbed_.

He pushes himself up slowly, muscles cramped and achy from the last time– "More tests?" he asks shakily in broken Japanese, twitching at the runny feeling sliding against his throat.

She startles, clearly not expecting him to speak, but not freaking out in a way that suggests she hadn't been informed of his recent talkativity.

After a moment she raises a scaled eyebrow and scoffs, "Yes, and behave or I won't _hesitate_ to ship you off to the Red Room." He shudders as phantom maggot crawl and dig over his body, pressing back against the worn bars at his back. He is grateful that this one does not come by often.

She always threatens the Red Room more than the others. It may be due to no small part by himself; when he was still new and confident in his escape, he had bitten her '_accidentally_' when she checked his teeth.

They muzzled him after that, shoved him into the Red Room for well over twenty-four hours. His throat bobs in an aborted whine at the remembrance, the wound born of cutting metal weighing his head down and leaving behind a scar.

Nedzu was lucky one of the higher-ups by the name of Acawa had taken notice of the new treatment and demanded it be removed and replaced with something more 'humane' instead.

He doesn't like to think or dwell on where he would be without the more sympathetic of these… _**humans**_. Again, and again, Acawa would stop treatments and experiments from becoming worse… but he could still not help the resentment that built up toward her and her refusal to allow him what he longs for.

To be let _go_.

With each second he remains here it becomes harder and harder to remember not all humans were like this.

By the time the scientist makes her way over with a syringe, he was worn out, filter gone and energy lackluster. Curiosity won out.

"What's that?" he choked out, gesturing to the thin, murky green liquid backdropped by the harsh light of the desk. 

For a moment he thinks he would ignore him, but she answers easily enough with a clipped, "Antibiotics, you rat. You're too _stupid_ to keep yourself from reopening your wound. Your arm."

He recognizes an impatient command when it is delivered, and he has no other option but to put his arm out. It hardly sticks through the tight bars when the needle jabs into the worn patch of skin there, plunging the liquid inside.

_It __**burns**_.

Antibiotics never hurt like this, the yowl tearing itself from his maw. Instinct has him jerking his arm back, but her vice grip yanked him forward, her grip squeezing tight so she could hiss "_Don't try it, bitch!_"

He barely manages to lock his limbs, clamping his mouth shut when her lizard tail whips behind her and thuds against the ground threateningly.

She can't let go of him fast enough, and his arm is clasped against his chest in a flash, the prick of the needle evolving into a bubbling and broiling agony crawling up his veins directly into his brain.

The pain drops him like a fly, his claws digging into his ears to try and push through the pounding headache developing. He barely notices the scientist's head moving back with a sharp tisk, dutifully taking notes with her slit tongue poking out from her jagged teeth.

He tries to croak something like, "You lied to me!" it comes out as nothing more than a gruntal groan thanks to the unbearable pressure building underneath his skin.

"Be thankful it's only a small dose, rat!" she spits, taking more notes probably based on his behavior. A wave of dizziness crashes against his eyes as she blurs; he feels sick but also… he's never felt more _alive_, his brain processing at a million miles per hour.

Every little detail and movement analyzed, logged and computed from puzzle-pieces into the big picture. He's more alive than ever, not even the cage descending with a snap can distract him.

An eye-twitch. A paperclip just in reach. An old analogue lock. As these clicked his headache receded, though his mind remained sharp. Sharper than the scalpel tipping near the edge of the counter.

An arm within stabbing distance.

He'd never picked up the soft buzz of the world outside until now, and it rushes through his system. It doesn't take much to deduct the compound would be in a red-light district, with the business these foul humans were conducting.

He dares to move carefully while her back was turned, paws not allowed to fumble when grabbing the paperclip. He barely breathes as he shifts to work the lock, a soft, noticeable to human ears click sounds.

He gnashed his teeth to keep from making a sound when the door emits a creak from rusted hinges, the sound miraculously going unnoticed. He allows a sigh of relief as he scampers across the filthy tile and up the counter as quiet as a mouse.

He doesn't _hesitate_ to grab the scalpel before spinning and **launching** himself at the scientist's back, managing to knock her off balance despite his frail body. She lets out an alarmed yelp and he quickly silences her as she promptly crumples to the ground with a bang.

_Gods that felt good_, he thinks giddily, panting and shaking. He hadn't killed her, of course. He wouldn't stoop to their levels, though he quickly sobers up after he jumps from her back.

He'd be an idiot to think this was the only obstacle to his freedom– and he refuses to be stupid again.

He is quick to head for the cart, climbing and jumping from it, just barely grabbing the handle as he fell. It swings open and he's immediately met with another scientist who is fish-gaping.

_Foxdung,_ he curses as he races past them and into a dark hallway, beelining for freedom only to be _blocked_. And not just blocked by a human, but by a giant lizard.

He's too _close_, giving in and growled low in his throat. He isn't proud of using the scalpel to pierce its right eye and while it thrashed and screeched in pain, he ran by it and out a thinly cracked window.

Freedom at last.


	2. Days Gone By

Days Gone By

~Day 1~

He didn't dare stop, bolting past a security guard who shouted in surprise followed by horror at him and gave chase. Nedzu knew it was too late for him. He dropped

to all fours in a flash of brilliance, pushing his body and limbs faster and faster before promptly losing his pursuers in the sudden crowd, dipping through legs and around corners of towering metal and glass.

He stumbles and darts behind an overflowing trash bin, struggling to gain control of his frantic panting. His body is far too unused to the physical exertion from so long in that rusted prison.

With paws planted on his knees and eyes screwed shut he was so caught up in trying to breathe he didn't notice the toddler until it was squatting next to him.

He will not admit to squeaking. Not even under further torture.

It tilts its head and babbled at him with its hands stuffed in its mouth. At first, Nezu was ready to flee all over again but… this is only a baby, he thinks to himself. What harm can it do?

"Hello little one, where are your parents?" he asked tentatively, still wary but less so than before.

He takes a moment to study the child, eyeing the wild purple hair and wide eyes of the same hue. He was maybe roughly half a foot taller than Nedzu, at 3 ½ feet, so Nedzu has to crank his neck back to see the probably four-year-old.

It only took a second for Nedzu to notice all of this, and it took another twelve before the child answers hesitantly with an extended piece of paper.

"To whom it may concern, this is Hitoshi. He has a horrible quirk and no adoption center will take a kid with a brainwashing quirk, if you can, please take care of him. –Akuma"

Red-hot rage floods him in the second it took to read the note, paws clenching down. How dare someone simply abandon a child! Because of a quirk!? Damn those humans!

He doesn't bother holding in the growl while his claws shred the note to silvery pieces, but he loathes the look of terror his actions accidentally put on the child's face. His rage lowers to a simmer, his eyes softening as he loosens his body-language.

This child – Hitoshi– didn't need his anger toward the world right now. What he needs is a home. And being the compassionate creature he is, he makes the rather split-second decision to take the child on himself!

Determination set in stone, he pushes himself up and holds his paw out to the child, proudly stating the words that would change their lives forever. "Hi Hitoshi, I'm Nedzu. I'll be taking care of you from now on!"

~Day 3~

don't cry over spilled soup

Two days in and it's been, to put it in as few words as possible, rough. He escaped the torture disguised as a research lab and adopted a young boy all within the first hour of his freedom. Despite the struggles, he managed to salvage –steal– some food for them from an unsuspecting street-vendor yesterday, but it was such a small portion he needed to search again today.

He wasn't having any luck at all. He'd been chased out with what he learned was a broom more times than he cares to count and that's not accounting for Hitoshi, who had basically been glued to his side the entire time.

Poor kid was caught in the crossfire twice now and has a large purple bruise yellowing at the edges on his left cheek as proof.

He ducks into an old, abandoned apartment complex with a heavy sigh, rummaging through the bag he managed to steal and pulls out a first aid kit (also stolen), treating the striking bruise.

He felt like the biggest failure. Hitoshi got hurt and it was his fault, his and that idiotic shop manager with the broom! Hitting him was understandable, with his animal features– but Hitoshi!? That was out of line, and if it wasn't for Hitoshi soothing him when it should be the other way around, then approaching the cops he'd have shown the man the fury of a vengeful Nedzu showing no mercy.

Alas, it was not meant to be.

He gives his head a good shake as he pulls out an average-sized can of soup but only succeeds in cutting the pad of his paw and spilling the holy soup everywhere that was decidedly not one of their mouths.

He felt like crying.

That was the only thing of soup left and now they're either going to have to lick luke-warm soup off the floor or go hungry. He would rather suffer a million broom-bristles to the head before letting Hitoshi sink so low.

He didn't try to contain his grumbling as he moves to stop the trickle of blood and prepare to stand up when a weight knocks into his shoulder. At the sight of Hitoshi fast asleep, his eyes closed and face peaceful, his annoyance ebbed away slightly. An expression so unlike the contorted pain he was in moments before.

The soup can wait.

It takes a large amount of effort to carefully figure out how to heft the child up against his entire body, waddling him away from the spill and toward the makeshift bed constructed yesterday. He's painfully aware of the strain of barely keeping the child from scraping the floor.

It was worth it to see him curl up, cat-like, and Nedzu himself follow him into sleep– dreaming of someday finding a home for Hitoshi and himself…

~Day 4~

9:57am

Waking up was an unpleasant affair made worse by the yelling above them. Upon opening his eyes he finds deep crimson eyes full of malice and violent intent looming.

He could barely swallow past the lump in his throat, subtly shaking Hitoshi awake. "Wha–?" Hitoshi yawned, before jerking back and up to face the violent explosion coming from the crimson boy's curled hands.

His mind races, eyes darting to scan for exists. An explosion quirk is powerful but not undefeatable if it comes to a fight, which he hopes they can avoid if only for Hitoshi's sake.

"What do you want?" Nedzu asks, barely containing the growl in his voice as he puts himself between Hitoshi and who he now sees as a group of boys if the blond one attacks.

The blond sticks his chin up with a sneer and proudly exclaims at a volume no less than a stadium bullhorn, "I'm Katsuki Bakugou, and you're the ones in my base!"

Foxdung. "I was unaware of this–" he starts only to be cut off by another explosion and a growl. He flinches back against Hitoshi, bumping the boy himself back a step.

"SHUT IT YOU DAMNED WHATEVER YOU ARE!" the boy screeches, punctuating each word with a bang of an explosion in the mouse/bear/rat's snout.

"Um…" comes a timid voice from the back of the pack, between one of Bakugou's inhales before more noise. "Kacchan…"

Bakugou whirls around, the other two boys (nothing more than toddlers themselves) parting to reveal a bushy green-haired boy smaller than the rest.

"Deku," Bakugou snarls.

This 'deku' boy shrinks in on himself more, if that was even possible, but nervously stutters out "You… you shouldn't treat people like that…"

This seems to tick Bakugou off, his face growing red as explosions come off him in waves when he yells "SHUT THE FUCK UP DEKU! YOU'RE JUST AS PATHETIC AS THEM, YOU QUIRKLESS LOSER! DON'T YOU FUCKIN TELL ME WHAT TO DO ASSHOLE!"

If Nedzu has skin to blanch with he would have gone sheet-white– more white than his fur, even. What is white this kid, Nedzu thought, unnerved by his foul vocabulary and excessive volume. Unnerved, but not afraid. He's faced far worse.

"You shouldn't yell at your friend for no reason, he's right," Nedzu supplies deep into the one-sided screaming match.

"FUCK OFF! HE'S NOT MY FUCKING FRIEND! I'LL SHOW YOU WHAT'S A GOOD REASON!" is what is shrieked as he leaps at the smaller mammal.

Nedzu prepares to push a frozen Hitoshi out of the way, but Bakugou is intercepted by 'Deku' knocking into his side and throwing him off course. Directly into their pile of blankets.

"DEKU!" Bakugou howled, struggling to detangle himself from his whip out.

"Run!" Deku cries, bending to grab their bag and shove it into Hitoshi's arms before pushing them to flee quickly, back onto the streets.

Nedzu didn't dare let them look back to see if Deku would be okay, lest they fall behind, noting the explosions increasing from behind them and the police cars surrounding the building. It was most likely called in by a concerned citizen, or one hoping to get a hero to arrive.

If all goes well, he and Hitoshi would slip by without being noticed.

As the world decreed long ago, they had no such luck.

"You kids there, stop!" came a boyish shout from behind, and they only ran faster. Unfortunately, the laws of the universe were not created fair: short-legged people and whatever he was were not ever going to be faster than those taller than them. The exception being children when they have something they weren't, which Hitoshi was, but he was being dragged–

Long white wraps of cloth ensnare Hitoshi and rip his hand from Nedzu's paw, stopping the mammal in his tracks as he whirls around.

"Hitoshi!" the name claws its way out of his throat raw, spurring his body into a dead sprint to where Hitoshi was struggling! "Let him go!" he screamed, barreling forward low to the ground. He'd do anything to keep Hitoshi safe, pushing his mind into overdrive, he'd–

…nothing, everything is blank darkness …this was weird. Surreal. He tries to reach out with a paw but couldn't find it in himself to move at all, limbs heavy. Now, most people would freak out in a situation such as this, but Nedzu has always been a special case.

Instead of freaking out, he carefully examines what he can do… and what he can not do in this void of a world. He can blink, which is good. He can look around, though it takes more willpower than he'd like to turn his head. Still good. He couldn't move forward, which is not so good.

He sucks in a breath as the void snaps into colors and sounds between one millisecond and the next, jerking his head up to the young man clad nearly head-to-toe in black standing over him.

His eyes drift to Hitoshi, who is crouched right next to him and chewing his lip rather badly.

Nedzu pushes it from his mind, heart fluttering in his chest at the well of information in front of him. "Was that your quirk?" he breathes, pushing himself to shake his fur out. "What was the void you placed me in, is it a teleportation quirk or maybe simply a hallucination or illusion ability?"

These are merely the beginning of a million and one questions he deems acceptable to ask the young hero, who seems casually at ease with the situation.

Rather, he was okay with the situation, but what he now could see was probably a teenager, in all honesty, didn't seem to understand the nature of Nedzu's questions. He is frowning now.

"What do you mean by a void?"

Nedzu pauses for maybe half a second before elaborating, eyeing his surroundings. "The blackness that overtook me… that wasn't you?" he accounts for the few police officers talking to Bakugou and that Deku kid a few meters away, though none seem to be paying them any attention.

"What's your quirk?" the teenager asks after a thoughtful hum.

"High Spec: grants me a superior intelligence that surpasses… most other humans." the hero raises an eyebrow. "With some adverse side-effects." He normally wouldn't trust an adult this easily, so why did he almost blurt the truth? Was it because of the fact he was younger, not quite an adult yet?

The hero looks thoughtful, gruffly responding with "My quirk must have short-circuited your brain, then."

He offers Hitoshi a hand, which Nedzu is shocked to watch him take, but soothed when Hitoshi also wraps his fingers around Nedzu's wrist. "Now come with me, we need to take your statements."

They don't really have a choice, following behind him without any voiced questions, though Nedzu remained intrigued by the teenager's quirk.

The hero is conscious enough to slow his pace to allow them to keep up, so it takes longer than what it maybe should have to reach the police cars. And just beyond them… the blond-haired boy is being yelled at by…a bigger Bakugou?

What? His utter confusion must show on his face because the grungy teen snorts and shrugs in a 'what can you do' motion and steers them toward a different car. Small mercies do exist.

Nedzu shakes his head to clear his thoughts, focusing back to the situation at hand. They approach a plain-looking man in a trench coat and a cat-headed officer who looked to be in a light-hearted conversation before spotting them.

"Hello there, I'm Naomasa Tsukauchi and this is my partner, Sansa Tamakawa," the man introduces friendly enough. Nedzu doesn't trust him one bit.

"…I'm Nedzu, this is Hitoshi," he says slowly, not one to fall for fake niceties that will surely be ripped away the second he lets his guard down. Hitoshi will be taken from him and then he'll be tossed into the Red Room all over again to be a feast for the vicious creatures inside waiting just for him– he can't go back he can't he can't he can't he can't he can't he can't he can't he can't he can't he can't go back he c–

"Nedzu?"

He's snapped out of his spiraling thoughts by a beacon of light, soft words and an ever-so-gentle tap to the back of his paw. He blinks to clear away the moisture, the concern on the faces of the police officers coming to focus. But most importantly, Hitoshi's.

"Sorry, got lost in my head." That, of course, is a bitter lie. But better to say this than the truth that he was going into a panic attack, for sure.

Tsukauchi purses his lips and nods just once. "Alright then Nedzu-kun, let's get going then. How about we start with what happened."

Nedzu holds back his fidgeting, nerves sparking and on edge the longer he stands in such a large crowd of adults. Quickly then, but it needs enough information to keep them from questioning too much.

"We were sleeping in the building over there, I fear I wasn't able to grab my clothes since the blond kid came in and woke us up by screaming. He tried to attack, apparently we were in his hideout, but we were lucky that the green-haired boy– Deku I think– stepped in and tackled him to keep him from us. Told us to run, so we did. That's about it."

Tamakawa's ear twitches, his gloved hand stilling in surprise. "Why were you sleeping in an abandoned building?" he inquired, an almost undetectable rumble to his words, remnant of a cat.

"We were tired?" he prompts, knowing well that this was not what he meant but still hoping the adults wouldn't press it. The teenager has already headed off toward the other cars.

Tsukauchi sighs, "He means why there, kids. Don't you have somewhere better to nap?"

Nedzu curses mentally. At this point, he wouldn't be surprised if the officers thought they were run-aways. Which isn't totally off, but still.

He has to think quickly, consider his options and which is the best. It helps that they seem to think they're both kids even with Nedzu's strange dialect. If he tells the truth the officers would likely send him back to the lab and take Hitoshi away from him and into an orphanage that won't care for him. Nedzu couldn't lose Hitoshi– he just can't.

But if he lied they'd just think he was an ordinary human child with a strange mutation type quirk and a home life to go back to, which is good. He just has to sell it or they'd be caught for sure. While he wasn't the best at human emotional cues, he is good at analysis as it was his quirk.

He's made his decision, hopefully it would be enough.

"We were playing but got tired and didn't feel like going home yet so we made a 'camping spot' and pretended to be stranded. We didn't mean to fall asleep for real, we swear."

That was a lie and Naomasa knew it, his quirk told him as much, the same as before when the boy had clearly not been okay. There were no other tells or anything to give away that he was lying. Damn this kid is good.

He blinks and realizes the boy is giving him a weird look, glancing back at his more nervous companion and then back. It's a bitter pill to know he can't do anything, so with a cough, he says "I think that's the last question for today, run along and get your clothes before going home, boys."

Nedzu holds in the sigh of relief as with a quick bow, they were allowed to leave.

Nedzu, of course, leads Hitoshi back into the building and then out the back and away from the scene. The entire day has been tiring; they just lost their place to sleep and were interrogated by cops all within an hour all before noon.

Great day overall, he thinks to himself bitterly.

As if sensing Nedzu's tension and agitation from the events of today, Hitoshi squeezes his paw in support. It's grounding, a comfort that has his heart all but melting to goo. Gods above, he loves this kid because despite how little they knew each other Hitoshi was always so sweet and caring.

Damn those bastards to Hell for leaving this precious child alone just because they couldn't handle his quirk. It's their loss and his gain in the end.

"Nedzu, we're going somewhere new to stay," is what Hitoshi says in a worried tone, phrasing it in a way that isn't a question. Damn his parents. Hitoshi won't ask questions, so it's up to Nedzu to reassure him.

He's never had to do this until recently, so he puts a smile on his face and delivers half-truths. "I don't know yet, but we'll find a place before dark, promise." He's trying his best to be comforting, though he can feel the strain of his unnatural smile.

For a four-year-old Hitoshi is smart, emotionally and otherwise, he would understand anyway.

"HEY! WAIT UP!"

Nedzu, in fact, does not 'wait up.'

"Hitoshi run!" he barks as he pulls ahead into a run, pulling away from the frustrated shout of Bakugou and into a well-timed rush-hour crowd.

He's extra sure to keep a firm grip on Hitoshi's hand so they don't get separated. This doesn't stop the telltale signs of their pursuer from reaching them.

Down an alleyway they go, taking a left, right, right, left, straight, loop down that alleyway fuck it's a dead-end!

With no choice left but to turn and face the blond boy thundering toward them and firmly cutting off their only escape with his ire. They were so screwed.

"Hitoshi, stay behind me," he commands softly, praying that his boy will follow without question as he has previously.

He faces the boy –no older than five– with his fangs bared and ready to defend them if he did something threatening when Bakugou… does something unexpected…

"I just want to talk, fuckers! Don't get any ideas!"


	3. broken memories

_~Day 4~  
1:37pm_

In retrospect, the 'talk' went about as how Nedzu was expecting. Meaning, it could be summarized by the blond simply yelling at them with varying degrees of eye-contact and popping. Now, _what_ the topic of the talk was about… _that_ surprised him.

Mainly the punchline: "–SO YOU BETTER COME OR I'LL BLOW YOU FUCKERS UP!"

_What?_ A little unsettled, a little thrown off, and a little shell-shocked, he inquires in surprise. "Go where?"

Bakugou growled at this, looking personally offended that Nedzu hadn't been hanging off his every word up to this point. "Me, you, the brat. Six o'clock, my hideout, you know where it is so you better be there!"

And then he spins on his heel and storms off.

_That was… weird,_ Nedzu thought long after Bakugou left to who knows where. Hitoshi looks down at him in the corner of Nedzu's eye, clearly confused when he asks: "What to do."

That was a good question. He couldn't go there without any prior information because what is he, a _heathen_? Besides, he wouldn't risk Hitoshi so willy-nilly after everything that has happened to the boy so far when he follows Nedzu.

The most logical choice was to not go. Sure, Bakugou would, quite obviously, be pissed at them but it wasn't like the kid could track them down with four hours to escape so they'd most likely never meet again. However… he had the strangest feeling the invitation wasn't a fight despite the tone of it all.

With a soft sight he looks up to Hitoshi and answers quite plainly, "We're going." Hitoshi blinks and wrinkles his nose but otherwise seems to have already come to that conclusion before Nedzu himself– whether from knowing Nedzu well enough or a gut feeling he wouldn't know.

Whatever Bakugou wanted he could react accordingly, and it's not like they have anything better to do at six. Maybe they could keep that shelter longer if they do?

_~Day 4~  
5:46pm_

Even with the extra time Nedzu allowed them, arriving back at the towering apartment complex was nerve-wracking to put it plainly. Too many unknown possibilities lurking around every corner; _what did Bakugou want? Why did he want them to meet up here of all places? Why not simply beat them up while he had them cornered and move on with his life?_ It's not like either he or Hitoshi could fight back. Well, Nedzu _could,_ he has before, but it felt wrong to consider tearing the boy to pieces when he was just that. A _child._

And maybe Hitoshi could use his quirk if the situation became dire enough since the last time he'd used it –on _The_ shopkeeper– he'd passed out and been whacked in the head with that damned broom they had no choice but to call a demon.

Safe to say it wasn't the best day already and Nedzu doesn't want Hitoshi suffering further if he didn't have to, or go through that again if he could help it.

With the final turn of a corner, the building comes into view. And so does Bakugou leaning up against it, scowling at them with the greenette hunched right beside him.

Deku perks up immediately at the sight of them while Bakugou appears to start the five stages of grief but after denial parks himself squarely on anger and refuses to budge even an inch. Splendid, they're off to a roaring start already.

"Hello!" Deku calls out as he runs toward them in clear excitement, a grin splitting his cheeks. Nedzu cannot hide the flinch from an instantly worried Hitoshi, but he draws the boy in closer and holds his ground as the other two boys come up.

"Hello again," Nedzu greets politely. "Thank you for the rescue," he finishes, gesturing to Bakugou who scoffs and turns away from them with a huff.

The reaction is instantaneous. Deku's pale cheeks flood crimson and hands flutter to his chest and then his hair, eyes darting from the odd pair in front of him and Bakugou at his back. "It's nothing really, Kacchan wouldn't have actually hurt you!"

Nedzu doesn't believe him, not in any part due to the boy himself, but because of Bakugou's reacting anger to Deku's statement. He decides not to push it anyway.

Nedzu opens his mouth to speak when Hitoshi taps his shoulder and softly clears his throat. "Names," he asks.

Nedzu feels rather foolish for not asking to begin with. He's aware Kacchan and Deku are nicknames, but he only knows Bakugou's last name. Deku seems to have the same thought process because he bows at his hips in apology.

"I'm so sorry!" he squeals. "My name is Izuku Midoriya, this is my friend" "NOT YOUR FRIEND AND I CAN INTRODUCE MYSELF SHITTY DE–!" "–Bakugou Katsuki!"

Despite how little Nedzu knows Japanese, he's aware of what the connotation of the boy's 'nickname' is. It is not a nice one. And either Hitoshi doesn't know or knows not to point it out is up in the air, but he nods, pointing to his chest "Shinsou," and down at Nedzu "Nedzu."

Before _Izuku_ can blabber into a full conversation Nedzu butts in. "Why did you call us here?" Nedzu asks curiously, aiming the question at Izuku.

"Well, you see, my mom wanted us to invite you over for dinner because of the trouble we caused you," Izuku finishes sheepishly. Nedzu personally thinks the only one who caused trouble was Bakugou, but Izuku blurts "You don't have to if you don't want to!" as if backtracking in fear of them getting upset at him.

That just won't do. While the answer really should be no, to save themselves grief, Nedzu concedes to the pros outweigh the cons. By saying yes he gets a full meal in himself and Hitoshi instead of going hungry… and he really does know what the options of saying no means.

"We'd be honored to join you for dinner!" he chirps cheerily, secretly enjoying the way Bakugou's teeth grind. Yes, for all intents and purposes it could very well be a trap…it's not like he really has any other option.

Walking into the Midoriyas' modest household was a loud affair. This is no great surprise given Bakugou's presence: he screamed inside at the top of his lungs that they had arrived, violently shucked his shoes off, and stomped deeper into the apartment.

Izuku gives them a guilty look, apologizing for his blond 'friend' as he himself took off his shoes in turn. He gave them an expectant look for them –Hitoshi– to take off his own shoes as Nedzu didn't have any — thought that wasn't from lack of trying or intent, he couldn't find –steal– any shoes his size.

He did happen upon a small suit meant for a rather large stuffed bear on display that fit him quite nicely if he did say so himself. Hitoshi had quite the five-star review of it as well, which was rather comforting.

Upon going further into the apartment, he quickly spotted a small (by human standards) green-haired woman hard at work in the kitchen most likely making the upcoming dinner. He gulps, waving Hitshi's concern off because sure, _kids were mostly harmless, but adults!?_ **Especially** ones who give him such a predatory glare when she catches sight of him!?

He thinks better of raising his paw to wave so carelessly and instead bows. "Miss Midoriya!" he greets with forced cheer to his shakiness she caused, allowing himself to analyze everything in a heartbeat.

He _knows_ she is bad news. All he wants to do is go grab Hitoshi and _leave_ but that would be terribly rude to Izuku, and Hitoshi was already playing in the other room no doubt enjoying the kids' company– Izuku's at the very least.

He couldn't hurt that boy –either of them it would seem– if he could avoid it. He truly is in quite the bind here… _well shit._ Of course, he just _had_ to agree to this dinner even when he knew what it would mean dealing with Izuku's mother. He would just have to hurry tonight along as quickly as possible–

"I'm Nedzu! A pleasure to make your acquaintance!" he finishes with a flourish, straightening up in time to see the deep scowl on the woman's face.

"I am aware," she barks with narrowed eyes full of scorn.

"Oh wonderful, the kids must have told y–"

Midoriya's spine snaps straight like a live-wire. "You're not going to stay free forever _rat_!" she growls, advancing on him with eyes tainted venom yellow rather than viridian green.

Despite previous observations on his coat, Nedzu pales impossibly. "I… what– what do you mean?" he asks, trying to play it dumb even when he knew as well as he knew himself that this was Dr. Yamada's quirk. A vile quirk that allows her to control anyone from a distance as long as she touched them… today– as long as she touched them _today_ she could take over and their eyes would turn _yellow._

"Don't play dumb, rat, it doesn't suit you. You know as well as I that you can not escape **Project: Gijinka**!" the slightly distant voice hissed.

"I can certainly try," he whispers, ears flattening against his skull. He wouldn't lie to himself and say he wasn't scared of this woman; unlike every other 'scientist' at that damned facility, she is the one who enjoys his pain the most.

He can still hear the echo of her laughter as she sang '_the rat gets what he deserves~_' as she would often use her quirk on him to force him into actions he **hated**, even if her control was shaky.

The most memorable time was when she made him hurt other animals there and her control slipped mid-action– he still has nightmares of the blood dyeing his paws scarlet. Gods, he _hated_ her and how she caused him to become more and more isolated and alone than he would have been otherwise.

And then he realizes the laughter isn't only in his head, her face splitting Midoriya's into a wide sneer at him. "Still afraid of me, eh?" he doesn't quite manage to suppress the flinch in time. More of that _laughter_ "Well it'll be good to know you're oh so _favorite_ higher-up just so happened to be replaced my moi~ _wouldn't you!_"

_**No–**_ "_YES!_" she cackles in utter glee, her face lighting up. "And _you_ are going back in that Red Room the _second_ you get back!"

He _does_ flinch now, full-body shudders as memories prick the back of his mind. He tries to block out the phantom maggots biting through his skin because _it isn't real it __**isn't–**_

"YOU'LL NEVER TAKE ME BACK YOU– YOU _MAGGOT_ EATER!" rips itself from his chest at the 'scientist' set on a full yell. So, naturally, this is when Hitoshi, Bakugou, and Izuku come out to see what was happening.

The younger Midoriya looks scandalized, "Why are you– …_oh,_" and then meek upon seeing his mother's venom eyes, taking a step back and against a miffed Bakugou.

"M–mommy?" he stutters horribly, glancing around as if he'd seen this quirk before… as if he'd seen Puppet. It lets Yamada control the person for up to an hour after she touches you, it's why she wears gloves. To keep a single person in mind preserved.

He knew this deeply, couldn't help the shiver floofing his coat because he _remembers_ how it was always so painful.

The quirk's yellow, slitted eyes hook onto Izuku and she smiles a sharp-toothed grin at the collective stiffening the room does. "Oh deary, come help your mother makes some dinner, will you? Invite your little friends too~" she suggests in a sickeningly sweet but overall undisguised edge in her voice.

With a wet little gulp, Izuku nods, acting for all the world as if he knew better than to disagree when Midoriya was like this. Even Bakugou seemed to realize something was wrong, following after Izuku's shuffle up to her as they all begin to wash the vegetables.

Her shark-grin only seemed to gain teeth as she turned back to Nedzu. "Well come along then, I think it's better to have our chat elsewhere Mr. Nedzu."

She doesn't wait for a reply, turning to walk toward the living room. With a shaky breath, he follows to where they sit on either side of the coffee table in stiff silence. Until it's broken.

"Well, 'Mr. Nedzu,' if that's actually what you're calling yourself these days," she laughs, her eyes glowing stronger in those moments. "We both know you belong to Project: Gijinka and _only_ Project: Gijinka. We _made_ you, after all! You can't run from that," she smirks. "So tell me, why, exactly, are you running from your progenitors?"

Nedzu's ears twitch at Every. Single. Damn. Word. she says as if it were _facts._ They did NOT MAKE him. Hell, they do NOT OWN him! He wants to tear that look off of her smug face so bad it physically _hurts._ But he knows attacking her would get him nowhere, that this isn't even her at all. Just her _quirk._

He gets up and climbs on top of the coffee table to peer right in her eyes, growling "You did NOT MAKE me, I MADE me, I was BORN _FREE!_ You do NOT OWN me!" He really was growling by the end, canines bared little more than an inch from her. "And I'm damn sick of you pretending I'd be yours! Because I AM NOT!" he yelled in her face, whatever calm he had replaced by boiling fiery igniting in his veins.

A sound catches his attention and he glances over. Hitoshi is by the kitchen looking on in horror, tears gathering in the corners of his eyes.

Nedzu is well and honestly at the tip of his breaking point. He desperately wanted to claw their shared face off, consequences be damned! Snap with his rage and kill their glee with his poisonous words but… Midoriya is still Izuku's mother, and he couldn't lose control with Hitoshi watching.

With a deep breath that honestly takes more effort than he'd like, he settles back on the couch.

"You done with your little fit?" the quirk asks condescendingly. He scowls at her in obvious anger but she merely smiles that stupid smile. Gods above he _**hates**_ her with a passion rivaled by the furies themselves.

So he decides to punt the ball and ask, "Why are you controlling this woman?"

Yamada laughs at that, sending his frayed nerves into hyperdrive all over again. "I think you know why, rat," she says simply.

He doesn't dignify the obvious reason, growling in a fit if bravery "Not. Going. To. Happen. So stay away from me and my kid!"

The vindication on their face clues him in immediately that bringing up Hitoshi was a mistake– he could see it in the gleam of her eyes. Of her _vicious_ smile. _**Mousedung**_ reverberates through his head as she proceeds to reply in such a way he would have been attacking her in an instant if not for his boy being in the room.

"Oh?" she purrs with a sneer. "The little villain? What a shame it would be if something… hmmm, I don't know? Rat poison perhaps? Maybe some car accident? Or _better yet,_ if he somehow found himself in _**your**_ place because _you ran away?!_"

And she laughed at him. Flicking _laughed_ at him while plotting the murder of a toddler!

Breaking point achieved: _that's fucking it!_ He didn't know he said it out loud until _she_ flinched at his tone.

But oh, he wasn't _nearly_ done. "_**You touch a damn hair on his head and I'll skin you alive, you overgrown**_**MAGGOT!**" He wasn't aware of moving until he's yelling –snarling– nose-to-nose with her with a wordless growl on his lips.

They recover quickly, a toothy smile full of dagger-sharp teeth and a slotted-tongue adorning her face as they whisper just for him: "I'll enjoy putting him in the Red Room."

**Red** fills his vision. He _**snaps**__,_ leaping at her with a yowl and claws extended to _rip_ into flesh. Their howl of pain was broken by his own squeal from hitting the ground she flung him at and promptly stomped on.

He scrambled to get away but it was futile, and his saving graces were the loud "_FUCKING HELL!?_" of Bakugou as Hitoshi and Izuku barrel into Midoriya's body.

She falls and crashes against the coffee-table with a crack and groans lowly.

"_RUN!_" Izuku cries at their rag-tag group, all four of them scrambling for their stuff and booking it out of the door — fleeing into the dark, stormy night.


	4. badgers!

**"**_**FUCKING HELL?!**__**"**_  
/Now, let's take a step back a few minutes into the past that leads to this toddler screech shaking the heavens, shall we?\\\

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
_~Day 4~  
late_

Katsuki is too fucking _stunned_ watching that _thing,_ whatever the fuck it is, attack auntie and who auntie attacked. So shocked that he's completely dumbstruck and slapped in the face when shitty _Deku_ shoved her with Dead Eyes in tow.

That's what breaks him out of his funk, ignoring the sick bastard to rush and help auntie on the floor… when– when he locks eyes with her.

Locks eyes with something that is very much _not_ soft green anymore. Eyes that are snake yellow.

His heels grind to a stop without his say, body frozen at the predatory intent she's directed at him.

And she hisses at him. Actually fucking _hisses_ like a fucking _snake._ His body takes a step back, tremors traveling up his arms…

"A– auntie?" he manages to choke out before Deku pulls him away from her form slithering on the ground dazedly. _Blood_ pouring from her head wound, drip drip _dripping_ from now-red hair.

"_RUN!_" Deku cries at them, snagging auntie's purse and booking it out the door where Thing and Dead Eyes had already disappeared into the windy rain.

Deku lets his arm go and darts forward to match pace with Dead Eyes slinging a bag on his back, and it's only cuz of Thing pulling on his arm that Katsuki blinks out of his shitty trance.

He yanks his arm back on principle, but there's only numbness replacing the boiling anger at Deku when they ran out into the rain.

They're blocks away when all his emotions come crashing back with the realization: _Fucking hell he forgot his coat!_

He screams.

It took an hour of wandering –which he honestly expected sooner after the outburst– before Katsuki seemed to conclude Nedzu doesn't know _shit._

The kid declares this fact loudly, soaked to the bone, and Nedzu can't really disagree. He's tired, hungry, aching, and honestly? He's too damn mentally exhausted to care.

He's selfish and he knows it– because he's just glad Hitoshi is okay. His boy is asleep safe and sound for _once,_ curled in a cart they found (stole).

"Hey, Thing!" shouts Katsuki, as he insists on being called. The boy isn't keen to extend the same courtesy, Izuku having to explain Katsuki's 'nicknames' to Nedzu and Hitoshi the first time the blonde called him Thing.

"Yes?" Nedzu sighs tiredly, already done with the conversation coming. He could take a guess–

"Do you even know where we're going!?" he tries to shout but is interrupted by the yawn breaking free of its cage in the middle of his sentence. Hitoshi snickers at his side, Izuku just flutters around with his own yawn.

"Honestly, Katsuki?" he heaves in exhaustion. "No, I do not."

Katsuki shakes off the sleep in his eyes to puff up and shoot a scathing look through drenched hair only just beginning to flatten. "Then why the _fuck_ are _you_ leading us!?"

That was a good question. For a five-year-old, Katsuki knew this place much better than Nedzu does. With hat feels like the billionth sigh of the night, Nedzu concedes defeat: "Why don't you lead us then, Katsuki? You're more familiar with this town than I."

Ego stroked and feathers preened, Katsuki huffs a breath and nods firmly. "_Finally_ some common sense!" he says while turning them around back toward the Midoriya home despite Izuku's pitiful protests of Nedzu and Hitoshi's common sense– not himself, he notes. Nedzu wants to mention the greenette and ask why Katsuki is marching them in this direction but he can't muster up the energy.

He's done. As long as the kids are okay, he doesn't care.

Roughly half an hour of backtracking later and Nedzu is seriously concerned about how hard the boys are shaking. Their destination may be Katsuki's base but there weren't nearly enough supplies for them, and the location was known; they would have to move quickly in the morning even if now would be preferable.

There was still good news. While discarded police tape was left around most likely out of laziness, there were no police of heroes in sight. Nedzu considers this a win.

Waking Hitoshi from his much-needed nap was decidedly not what Nedzu wanted, but Katsuki was already complaining that he had been napping the whole time, and Izuku was curled in a ball by the painted red corner blinking blearily with chattering teeth.

Hitoshi yawns as he stretched, barely awake as he crawled out of the cart and onto the cold, hard ground with the palms of his hands. Nedzu's reflexes are still stiff, so it's only Izuku's closeness and luck that the child squeaks and catches him so his skull doesn't hit it.

Hitoshi sniffs, accepting Izuku's patting while Nedzu examines the minor injuries that could be dealt with by a _Mighty-Man_ Band-Aid and a kiss– Izuku's suggestion and application since Nedzu doesn't exactly have lips.

When they had first entered the complex Nedzu had been nervous, but so far there was nothing in the front room. He knew on an intellectual level that there was nothing here to be afraid of but his instincts had a different idea. They hadn't stopped raising the fur on his back even when they stepped slowly into the back room, checking the floor only to find nothing more than the supplies shifted in the investigation.

A little relieved, Nedzu sighs again and releases a shiver before going to check on their (stolen) blanket fort; the good news was that nothing was missing… the bad news is there were additions.

The group wasn't alone here. Inside the discarded blanket fort was a pair of badgers! Badgers who were just as startled to see him as he was to see them. Badgers who quickly growled their coarse warning.

"_)Rat. Big rat. Rat man. No good. Humans? Bad humans. Get rid of humans!(_" they chatter at each other, quickly pushing up to growl at the group.

"_)We mean no harm,(_" Nedzu says in their mother tongue, slipping into the dialect easily despite the disuse.

Everyone looks visibly confused at him, blinking and tilting heads. "_)Rat man speak? Rat man understand?(_" they chirp, confused and a little… excited?

Nedzu lets out a breath of relief, "_)Yes, I understand you. May we share your den as we were the ones who constructed it? We can give you food in return(_"

They seem to consider, badgers being one of the more understanding of den construction and ownership. "_)Food? Offer food for stay?(_" the male huffs to his bond-mate.

"_)Might fake,(_" the female replies in worry. "_)Might hurt cubs!(_" she snaps with a warning hiss at them. Her mate snaps too, both of them focusing on Nedzu and not the three oddly-silent children behind him.

Nedzu forces himself to remain relaxed. This… this is not a good situation to be in, badgers with cubs are notoriously aggressive in their protection. He knows this from his parents, as fuzzy as they are in his memory now, had been firm in their lesson to never go near their badger friends when they have a young cub because they were not themselves when overrun by instincts.

"_)We will not hurt your cubs, that I can promise you. No harm will come to your cubs while we stay here, my cubs are kind.(_" he injects as much sincerity and protectiveness into his voice as he could, playing to their instincts by mentioning the boys as cubs.

They seem to take his words to heart, fur flattening against their spines. The female –Himari, as he would later be told– speaks to him. "_)You may stay but must show food first.(_" Nedzu digs out the can of berries he found –stole– earlier, setting it down after prying it open.

The pair sniff and take a bite out of the berries, seemingly satisfied with the contents they shuffle to make room in the blankets. Izuku makes a cut-off squeak behind him, receiving perked ears and a short snort of surprise from Himari in response, and excited series of chirps from the two cubs.

Nedzu gratefully leads a swaying Hitoshi down into the fort, instructing him to lay with his back against the male –Haro– who twitches at the touch but curls to sniff Hitoshi's already slumbering face, giving a short lick on the nose before turning back to his mate.

"_)Soft cubs are nice humans.(_" he confirms, little need that did when Himari was already corralling a blatantly confused Izuku over to the nest. It was probably due to his cub-like sound earlier.

The entire exchange forces Nedzu to hide his laughter. Katsuki (who thankfully was willing to follow Nedzu's lead during the conversation he couldn't understand) shoots Izuku and Hitoshi incredulous looks, then a frustrated one at Nedzu.

"It's nothing," he says to the blond. "Get in," is followed by a gesture to the blankets where Izuku is stifling his giggles at being snuffled on by two three-week-old cubs, and failing to the clear amusement of Himari.

He wonders what caused them to be run out of their former burrow so soon after the cubs' birth, the thought backdropped by Katsuki's grumbling about 'I coulda blown them away easy' as the boy climbs in beside Izuku. The greenette immediately using his friend as a pillow, to which the blond just goes with it as if it were second-nature.

Himari corrals the two cubs into her side from her position at the back of the fort while Nedzu sighs at the boys and curls up to Hitoshi for some much-needed sleep. Everyone is out like a light.

_~Day 5~  
6:46am: sunrise_

Nedzu woke once again to shouting. But to his horror, it was not only Katsuki this time. For standing above them was none other than the Yamada-controlled Inko and _the containment team behind her!_

His body hits overdrive in half a second as the shock hits him, paw hazardly smacking into Hitoshi's shoulder. Gods above he _**hates**_ the containment team who always _hurt_ him when they moved him, and he was moved a _lot_ in no small part due to the illegal aspect of the project.

His smack jerks Hitoshi awake, who jerks into Izuku, who knees Katsuki in the gut in surprise, who pops his quirk against his stomach and wakes up the badger clan (who he is surprised weren't already awake).

Nedzu pushes the squirming in his stomach aside and gulps, stammering "What in the world!?" at them to try and hide how scared he was for himself but mostly the boys he dragged into this. He still remembers her promise of the Red Room well.

Yamada smiles at them through Inko, holding up a small tracking device that beeps and flashes faster and faster the closer it gets to pointing at him. "You really think we don't have contingency plans for this, rat?" she laughs haughtily with her venomous yellow eyes sinking into him like fangs.

He _had_ considered that he was chipped at some point, with how often he was put under or knocked unconscious by whatever shit they did to him but he wasn't able to pinpoint its exact location so he had focused on more pressing matters like Hitoshi.

He feels like a fool now, cursing himself for not trying harder and being an idiot.

He pushes himself up in front of the groups, positioned directly in front of Hitoshi. The badgers seem to be waiting on him, seeing if he would get the group to leave. He wasn't speaking their language. He can only speak Japanese now unless he wants to give himself away for that ability too.

"You got me, now what?" he spits at her feet.

She simply laughs at his attempt. "Now dear rat, we will test and put your little _friend_ here," she gestures to Hitoshi. "In the Red Room for your rebelling."

His expression hardens and he growls: "Do what you want with me but leave Hitoshi out of this! I'll– I'll go with you without resistance if you let Hitoshi go!" The badgers snarl behind him, recognizing the growl in his tone if not the words but he can hardly think over the need to protect his charge.

She looks at him in triumph, "You would so easily abandon the other two to save the one, oh how _ironic!_" Nedzu flinches, glancing back at the wounded looks on Izuku and Katsuki. "But you don't truly think we'd let the boy go when he has the perfect quirk and I intend to use it!?"

His neck snaps around "Wai–"

She snaps her fingers at the containment team and they advance, and he is helpless as wire tools shoot out and snag Izuku and Katsuki out of the blankets before he could react. Katsuki curses up a storm as he's held down, mini explosions going off in his hands futilely, and Izuku is wailing as he's cuffed at a masked woman's feet.

Himari aborts charging for Izuku when her cubs wail as well, shuffling back with Haro and more snarls, looking on in horror at the change. "_)More humans, bad humans! Must protect cubs!(_" they hiss as they back further into the makeshift den of blankets where they growl loudly. Nedzu only hopes he can keep his promise to them.

He looks to the advancing team and responds with his own growl, lowering on all fours despite the constriction of the clothes he didn't dare take off this time. Ready to fight even though ht knew it was useless.

He's proven correct when the closest man lunges forward and pins him down, his gear protecting him from Nedzu's claws and teeth until he's restrained in a full-torso band of metal clamping his arms painfully to his sides.

He could only watch and snarl when they do the same to a desperately babbling Hitoshi, cuffing and binding his mouth with a cloth.

He could only scream Hitoshi's name knowing of the betrayal toward the other boys.

He could only wiggle violently after being gagged as well and watch the blood trickling from three small wrists from biting cuffs as they are hauled up and out of the building. Still fighting while watching Hitoshi being picked up right behind him.

He screamed once more when they were outside but it was muffled and no one came to their aid in the early morning sunrise on a quiet street, and they were thrown into the back of a white van with no witnesses. The doors close and drives away into the unknown with Nedzu, Hitoshi, and Izuku battered and bruised.

_~Day 5~  
6:46am_

Shouta Aizawa is a tired teenager –nothing new there– but that's only because he values his work more than sleep and honor to a friend. He happened to be passing by yesterday's 'crime scene' when he heard a child screaming from inside.

He swung around the front just in time to see three kids handcuffed in the back of a white van before it sped off. Shouta darted forward as fast as he could but he was too late to rescue the kidnapped kids, he could only memorize the license plate number in hopes of finding it in the system later:

結田府 205  
26-83

Then he remembers something.

The screams came from _inside._

He spins on his heel and ran in to find a very irate blond kid with familiar explosions coming from his hands. This was the same boy from yesterday, Shouta realizes as he works to unlock the cuffs tied to a pole behind his back.

Shouta nearly screams when two very angry _badgers_ of all creatures charge out from some blankets the second the cuffs drop, only to be stopped by Bakugou (if he remembers right) shooing them back before throwing a fit and screaming "FUCKING HELL THEY TOOK THEM, GOD DAMN IT!"

He didn't need to ask what happened, he knew and bringing it up more could send him– Shouta snaps out his capture gear to keep Bakugou from running off. Well then. Shouta pulls him back and takes a firm hold on his shoulder to get him to make eye-contact, pushing the sounds of the badgers from his mind.

"Listen, Bakugou, I need to know _exactly_ what happened. What do you know?" he asks just short of demanding. He knows kids don't respond well to irritation.

Bakugou strangles a scream, throwing his arms up wildly. "What happened?" he yells in frustration, tears gathering in the corners of his eyes. "What _**happened**_ is something happened to auntie and some shitbags took deku dead eyes thing and I couldn't do shit!"

Well, that makes no sense whatsoever, three missing kids and one name to work with. But Bakugou is far from done. "Auntie was fucking weird before dinner and we ran cuz it wasn't safe but it didn't go away and she came with these freaks in armor! Deku is fucking sick too, auntie said so, he gets sick like a wimp all the time! Whatever it was inside her said they wouldn't believe me if I told the police I–"

Shouta rests a heavy hand on the kid's spiky hair to soothe him, deducing the kid wouldn't appreciate him pointing out the choked sobs and tears. "We'll get them back," he rescues, already calling his most trustworthy ally; Jr Detective Tsukauchi.

He would get them back or die trying!


End file.
